Provolone del Monaco 
Provolone del Monaco is an Italian cheese made from the milk of the Agerolese cow in the hills behind Naples. It is named for the heavy cloaks its makers wore when they landed at the port of Naples, and it has held PDO status since 2010.
Key Facts
| Country of Origin | Italy |
| Specific Origin | Municipalities in the Metropolitan City of Naples |
| Protection | PDO (2010), PDO (2005) |
| Milk Type | Cow's milk |
| Milk Treatment | Raw |
| Fat Content | At least 40 percent on a dry matter basis |
| Rind | Thin and smooth pale-yellow |
| Texture | Compact with eyes |
| Flavor | Sweet and buttery aroma with a pleasant spicy taste |
| Aroma | Sweet and buttery |
| Colors | Cream colored interior |
| Forms | Pear-shaped (without the neck) or melon-shaped |
| Age | At least 6 months |
| Rennet Type | Kid rennet paste or calf liquid rennet or a combination of both |
| Also Known As | Provolone delmonaco |
What is Provolone del Monaco Cheese?
Provolone del Monaco has been made since about 1700. Shepherds living on the Vomero, then farmland outside Naples, were pushed out as the city grew. Some families moved to the Monti Lattari, where the wide pastures let them keep making cheese, mostly caciocavallo.
Naples was the main market. The shepherds who brought the cheese down wore heavy, bulky cloaks against the cold, so buyers took to calling them monks. Their caciocavalli became known across the city as the provoloni del monaco. In 2010 the cheese received European PDO status under EU Regulation 121/2010.
It is made from the milk of the Agerolese cow. The milk is heated so that the curd cooks more than it would for ordinary caciocavallo, and ripening is deliberately slow, without preservatives or added ferments. The cheese is then shaped, salted and dried. Aging runs at least six months and, under the production rules, can take place in a cave.
The shape sets it apart from the usual provolone. Instead of the familiar form with a small head on top, it is molded like a slightly elongated melon with no neck.
Production is limited to a set of municipalities in the metropolitan city of Naples: Agerola, Casola di Napoli, Castellammare di Stabia, Gragnano, Lettere, Massa Lubrense, Meta, Piano di Sorrento, Pimonte, Sant'Agnello, Sorrento, Santa Maria la Carità and Vico Equense.
How Does Provolone del Monaco Cheese Compare?
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